Project: GuardianAngel
by FlutterMedic17
Summary: This story follows Squad Captain Alex and an unexpected companion, as they begin to uncover deeper secrets of Horzine and its experiments.


Murders, robberies, after-battle war-zones. Alex thought he had seen it all. They were nothing compared to the horror he had seen spawned from Horzine's labs...

It was a normal day around the Horzine Biotech building. As normal as a human experimenting centre can be anyway. In the depths of the office building lie its laboratories, constantly in motion of experimentation. It had been 2 years since the company were hired to create special "perfect" soldiers for the government. The only success (In Kevin Clamely's eyes) was the sonic weapon cloned from his now deceased wife dubbed the Siren. All 8 other experimentations either became failures or remain confined for further testing. One such experiment that exceeded expectations, a special cloaking soldier spawned from a simple patch of DNA, trained intensely to cloak at will and sneak into the very centre of enemy lines before destroying them. The labs best scientists were ready to count it a success.

"Some success..." thought one of the labs inhabitants. The very inhabitant behind the "Stalker" project was unfortunately not as free as those outside the glass. There, in one of the best containment areas, sat a lone woman, dressed in a simple white vest and black shorts. She gazed out to the men in white coats wishing she were only free of her prison, wishing she could walk freely among them. But ever since she were kidnapped all those months ago, she was trapped in a constant cycle of experimentations, DNA extraction and ridicule.

She looked at her hands, now tipped with claws, then looked towards the small etchings she made against the wall with said claws. Some depicted the profile of other experiments. One that interested the scientists and herself was a tall humanoid with a strange metallic device attached to its front, the 1st part to the Project Guardian she had heard the scientists talk about. The ones that hung around the men, the Clot's, always wandering around waiting to be ordered. On more than one occasion had she seen them horribly mutilate themselves with one of the surrounding machines. She thought that most of them wanted to die. She couldn't put a finger...claw... on it but if what she heard was true, then they wanted to be like the host that allowed their existence: the deceased son of Kevin Clamely. She looked down in thought. How long had she been in this prison? How much longer would she need to endure it? If only someone would provide her answers. It was as if someone had heard her questions and decided then would be the time for her answers, as a few scientists exclaimed in panic. She looks up to see what cause such reactions. The answer was much more than expected.

The scientists were finally about to put the Guardians out of their misery and declare the project a failure when they, as if knowing the impending trouble, began to revolt altogether. They thrashed and groaned against the mace-lock restraints that bound them, some even roaring in effort. One scientist decided to take the chance and inject the deathly chemical into the nearest. Once the syringe went in, the experiment roared in complete anger and its depressant capsule reverted into its secondary use: Adrenaline pump, giving the creature a surge of energy powerful enough to rip its mace-locks out of the holdings and smash against the scientist, sending him flying towards the containment area the Stalker stood behind, a wide smile on her lips. The rest of the group turned back to see all the creatures do exactly the same, ripping free of the vices, the first of them to do so stood in front of the group, a silent proclamation that he is the leader. It stared down through its metal plating, glaring at the group, before making its position clear.

"Flesh...POUND!"

13 gore filled hours later, the lone Stalker stood amongst the mangled remains of the 1st scientist to fall, impressed with the work those...Fleshpound's made on the sad human. One side of her said it was completely deserved for the torture they put all the experiments through. Her other side...almost agreed fully. You could say she felt vindictive towards Horzine for her own reasons. It was a shame the army decided to invade and save most of the scientists. Luckily her main "ability" granted her to be invisible for the duration of the rescue. She looks around to see all the destruction the whole mess had caused. As she looked, she felt slightly sorry for those that were killed that had nothing to do with her or any of the experiments torture. She felt guilty actually. She decided there was nothing left in this run-down area so decided to finally be granted her freedom. Then she heard that revving noise...

"Oh it's a simple 'Search and Rescue' in an abandoned building" they said. "No monsters left there. My ass" thought Captain Alex as he ran for his life. He didn't know what was chasing him, but he was sure as hell he didn't want to be on the business end of that chainsaw. He used all the energy he could muster to stay at least 7 steps away from the rampaging monster in medical scrubs, but no matter where he turned, the monster managed to remain on his tail. The occasional pot shot managed to throw the creature for a few seconds before it charged on.

"Oh what I wouldn't give for a freaking pipe-bomb right now..." He thought, daring a look behind him. That momentary lasp in concentration was the worst decision he would ever make, as he tripped over a discarded gun, flying slightly before hitting a wall. He turned quickly as the monster slowed, nearing him. He raised his pistol and aimed for its head. Crosshair pointing right between its eyes, he pulled the trigger.

_Click_

The single most feared sound to any soldier. Alex took a fast glance towards the gun he had tripped over. The M14 EBR, a personal favourite of his. He looked towards what could possibly be his last sight, the monster raising its revving chainsaw in the air, prepared to strike. Alex closed his eyes. He always knew someone in scrubs would kill him. Said scrubs wearing monster suddenly grunted, and turned around, allowing Alex to see another of the monsters had managed to clasp itself to its back with claws. As the monster waved its chainsaw in an attempt to whack the creature off, said creature pointed a clawed hand towards the M14. Alex nodded for a reason that escaped him at that moment and reached for the gun, grabbing it as the pair of creatures backed away, flailing franticly. Alex brought the scope up to his right eye and turned on the laser-dot aim. Between the flailing and the fact he only had one small head to aim for, it seemed an impossible shot. He swallowed his tension and took the shot at random. He almost feared as he saw which he had shot. There was a moment of non-movement that seemed to slow time.

Then from the shadows, a body fell to its knees, chainsaw still revving as it falls completely, albeit without a head. Alex sighed as his adrenaline levels lowered. He then noticed the creature that had bought him time still had its claws stuck in the chainsaw-massacre-on-legs. He finally managed to get a look at his savior. He was partially shocked when he looked at the young woman dressed in nothing more than a vest and shorts. Further inspection compared to a mental image disclosed her as a Stalker, albeit with full, shoulder length hair with a slightly red tinge to it. Actually, he concluded, she didn't at all at like a Stalker. She had attacked the chainsaw monster instead of him, even helping him find the gun. If she could have stopped the monster she could have easily slaughtered Alex. Throughout Alex's mental assessment, the Stalker looked up to him, a pleading look in her eyes. She wanted him to help her, but his training was screaming "She is classified as an enemy! Blast her head off!" After a moments decision, he beings the sight of his M14 to his eye, the red dot pointing right between her eyes, which now had a great deal of fear in them. She shook violently trying to release her claws to no avail, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She looked right into Alex's eyes with her tearful, pleading, begging eyes.

"Please" she silently whispered. Alex's eyes went wide at hearing the Stalker speak. He knew full well that all Horzine's creations could speak but only with guttural or mechanical backgrounds, but this... The Stalker's voice had humanity behind it, Alex was sure of it. But he had to follow his training, so he brought the dot back to her head. She merely bowed her head, a few loose tears falling from her now hidden face. Alex ground his teeth shut as his finger rubbed against the trigger. Seconds turned to minutes as they both shared the same thought.

"Why hasn't the shot been fired?"

The Stalker almost dared a look before the shot had finally been fired. She tensed, expecting a great deal of pain. There was none. She blinked and looked up at Alex as his sight was set forward from them both, pointing now at a now headless Siren, as it slumped to the ground. The Stalker looked at Alex as he returned the glance. 5 minutes had passed before Alex finally ducked down to help the Stalker get her claws from the corpse they were embedded in. Once her claws were freed, they shared another glance at each other. That was until the Stalker suddenly pounced onto Alex. Expecting unrelenting pain, Alex yelped in surprise, attempting to cover himself with his arms. This proved useless however, as the Stalker had his arms locked to his chest, her arms around his figure. The pain he had expected never came as he finally looks to see the Stalker hugging him and, from the sound of it, purring against him. He grew in courage and finally hugs the Stalker back, enticing her to push herself closer into him. Was he blushing?

Suddenly his radio rings out in a single, loud bleep, making the Stalker jump away in surprise. Alex apologises before answering it. He apologised? Why?

"HQ to Captain Alex, come in Alex."

"Captain Alex reporting in, Sir. What is your order?"

"Alex, what is your status?"

"Stable sir."

"And your mission status?" Alex looks to the Stalker. Should he consider her a survivor? She certainly didn't portray the usual Stalker behaviour. "Mission Status, please Captain." He thinks before answering.

"Failure, sir. There are no survivors. Only some chainsaw wielding freak and target Siren, both eliminated."

"A shame. We have a New mission for you Alex, you must search the laboratory complex for any and all files related to this 'Project Guardian' Horzine were working on. If you do not accept this mission, we will send a Pick-up Chopper to retrieve you." Alex's eyes widened slightly. If they sent a pick-up, they might see the Stalker. His training began screaming again. 'Why wont you complete the clean up mission? Why are you protecting this creature?' he looks towards the creature in question, and immediately knew his answer. "She is different."

"HQ, I accept the mission. On one condition."

"HQ to Alex, this request, what is it?"

"My condition is if I find any survivors, I bring them back personally." The radio goes silent with static.

"You are a brave man Alex. You are really going to risk your own life bringing a possible survivor back. We wish you the best of luck, Soldier." The radio bleeps off. Somewhere along the rant about bravery, the Stalker had lightly grabbed Alex's leg and hugged it as a young girl would her favoured stuffed animal. Alex sighed and put a hand to his gas-mask covered face before looking down at the Stalker, who returned the stare with a thankful smile. He chuckled as he says the next thing to come to mind.

"What am I going to do with you?"


End file.
